A blog with unpretentious reviews of restaurants and food; and occasionally about my life and experiences in the Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada. Read all about my mistakes so you can have a better experience!
Restaurant reviews are done anonymously and undercover if I can help it (I generally take pictures only if others at the table are also doing so).

Pages

Monday, January 27, 2014

Dine Out Vancouver 2014 - East is East Chai Lounge

Unlike many places, East is East will still offer their full regular menu in addition to their Dine Out Vancouver menu. In competition with their Dine Out Vancouver $28 menu will therefore be their regular all-you-can-eat Chai Feast for $27.

For dinner, the kitchen opens at 5.30pm, but even by 5pm there will be patrons and by 5.30pm the place will probably be full, if the Saturday evening our party was there is any indication.
Since the restaurant is already busy when the kitchen opens, you can expect your plates to come out somewhat slowly.

If you want even more variety, you should consider their Chai Feast. Because of the quantity of rice in both their Chai Feast and their Dine Out Vancouver menu, you may very well end up eating about the same amount of food, unless you are a champion at eating and a terror at smorgasbords, in which case go with the Chai Feast.
I opted for the Dine Out menu, as well as to go vegan.

Boulani

Waste of time. There is only a thin smear of filling inside, which taste only weakly registers and is completely overpowered by any of the three sauces provided. You also get two pieces with the rice that accompanies your entrees anyway.

No one at our table tried the mantu so I can't say how that would go. If you are not vegan, go for the prawns instead.

Entree Accompaniments

There is a tiny bit of spicy-hot and really-quite-sour garlic pickle, in a small dish in the middle of your tray. (sample dine out vancouver tray) It didn't really go with anything I chose. You could take a little bit of it to start to really whet your appetite, though.

This would probably have been much better if the banana didn't overpower everything.

Service is excellent. While you are waiting, you can expect to be offered a shooter-sized cup of chai. Servers float around with a sort of mindful-calm, and are gently patient. Which is really quite a different and less-intrusive experience from servers who can sometimes be chatty and befriending.
They are also hot. In a girl-next-door-who-does-yoga-and-is-spiritual type of way. If you're lucky, your server will also have an alluring exotic name like "Shahana" or something despite looking thoroughly North American.

The interesting decor and ambiance alone are worth a look -- as soon as you step inside, you are transported to another country and culture.

Live entertainment from about 8pm onwards. Gratuity is automatically included for parties of 6+.

Gorgeous pictures are from Q's Quarter, who suggested this excellent restaurant for our Saturday outing.